Cap removing tool



June 13,1933. A. G. OSBORNE 1,913,816

CAP REMOVING TOOL Filed Jan. 27, 1951 Q I i INVENTOR I? f y fill/drama. 01601720 ATTORNEY Patented June 1 3, 1933,

' an s'rA'n-zs ANDREW G. @QBORNE, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 ANCHOR CA]? 80 GLOSUBE COBPQFJaTIQN, 0F LQNG ISLAN'D CITY, NEW YORK, A. COBDDRATION OF NEW YORK GAP REMOVING TOOL lhe present invention relates to an improved cap lifter particularly designed for removing closure caps from bottles, jars, tumblers and the like.

5 The present invention is primarily adapted for removing friction closures from wide mounted containers, but is also equally applicable for removing closures from narrow inlputh ware such as soda pop bottles and the In removing caps from containers, it is necessary to engage effectively the lower edge of the closure with the jaw of the cap opener, to avoid disengagement during the opening operation. It is equally important, in most cases, that the closure be removed without substantial deformation thereof so that it may be used again to reseal or cover the container in order to protect the unused part of the contents thereof during consumption. Certain commodities, for example lubricating oils, may be-sold in sealed packages and the contents dispensed therefrom by the dealer. If the cap is not destroyed, dis honest dealers might impose upon the manufacturer, and upon the public, by refilling the container with an inferior product and resealing it with the original cap; in which case, the dealer could sell the refilled package as an originalpackage. On the other hand, if the package is sold to the ultimate consumer, the removed cap should be usable as a cover duringthe consumption of the product. In certain cases also, itis desirable to .puncture the cap to release the vacuum within the container and thereby facilitate removal of the cap. The prior art fails to provide an opener adapted to accomplish effectively the above objects.

The present invention aims to provide a cap removing device adapted to achieve the above advanta es and minimize the inherent difiiculties of tfie'prior art structures by providing suitable means for engaging the skirt of the cap and a pair of fulcrum members Application filed January 27, 1931. Serial H0. 511,519.

adapted to co-operate with the engaging means to remove the cap without substantial. deformation thereof. If desired, means for breaking the vacuum in the packa e before the cap 1s removed may be provide without rendering the cap unfit for use as a cover.

An ob ectof the inventibn is to provide an inexpensive opener adapted to effectively remove a cap from a container.

Another object of the invention is topro= vide a cap removing device adapted to remove a cap without material deformation thereof so that itmay be used to reseal the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cap lifter having a plurality of fulcrums.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container opener having a fulcrum adapted to be effective during the engagement of the jaw of the opener with the lower edge of the cap, and another fulcrum adapted to be effective during the removal of the cap.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cap lifter having the above advantages and adapted to facilitate the opening 0 a vacuum sealed container by automatically breaking the vacuum prior to the removal of i the cap therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bottle opener having the above advantages adapted to puncture the cap to prevent reuse of the ca to imitate or misrepresent the original pac age.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understandin of the illustrative embodiment about to e described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advanta es not referred to herein will occur to one s illed in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and. is shown in the accom- 'IIS panying drawing,forming a part of the specification, wherein V Fig. l is a side elevational view illustrat ing a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the preferred embodiment;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view illustrating the cap'iremover being applied to a cap sealed upon a container;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view illustrating the relation of the cap and opener at the time the second fulcrum becomes efl'ective;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view showing the relation of the cap and container opener at the completion of the removal operation;

Fi 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modified construction of the cap lifter provided with means for breaking the vacuum in a sealed container; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view illustrating a modified construction of the forward end of the opener.

Referring again to the drawing, there is shown a container opener 1, preferably comprising a channel member stamped from sheet metal, having upwardly extending side flanges 2 adapted to strengthen the construction and to minimize the weight of the metal necessary. A handle 4 is provided at one end of the opener and has an aperture 5 therein to permit the opener to be suspended from a hook or nail, when not in use. The handle may be of any desired shape, but is here shown rounded for convenience in manufacture and in manipulation. A suitable cap engaging jaw 6 is spaced forwardly of the handle portion and extends downwardly below the handle to provide means for eifectively engaging the lower edge of the skirt of a closure cap. The jaw has substantial width at its end and is preferably curved slightly to provide proper engagement with the skirt of thevcap and to prevent the'metal of the cap from material deformation under the pressure applied by the jaw. A pair of arched extensions 7, in, tegral with the handle, provide a support for the fulcrum member 9 adapted to co-operate with the cap engaging jaw 6. Preferably, the jaw 6 extends substantially below the fulcrum member 9 so that it will engage the skirt of the ca while the fulcrum rests upon the top thereo without re uiring the handle to be inclined too much to t e horizontal.

1n removing friction type closures, such as shown inrthe Edgar Soofield patent, No. 1,611,955, dated December 28, 1926, applied to tumblers or other wide mouthed receptacles, difficulties are encountered with present oners and the caps are generally distorte during the opening 0 oration to such an extent that they are unfit or use as covers. The tendency in removing the cap is to apply the tool in a single position to pull the cap the container, thereby distorting an, in

many cases, demolishing the cap. The operation has to be repeated one or more times, further distorting the. cap.

To avoid these disadvantages and to minimize transverse bending and unnecessar distortion of the cap while being remove an extension 10 is provided at the forward end of the opener illustrated herein, which merges into the fulcrum member 9 and the arched extensions 7. The extension 10 may be of any desired length but, preferably, extends entirely across the top of the cap and may extend be ond the opposite side. As illustrated in t e drawing of the preferred embodiment,-the under surface of the extension is at a substantially higher level'than the fulcrum 9. In this manner, the jaw 6' and the fulcrum 9 co-operate, during the removal of the cap, to raise the edge of the cap suficiently to afiord a secure engagement of the jaw prior to the engagement of the extension 10 with the other side of the cap. When the extension 10 engages the opposite side of the cap, directly above the rim of the container, the cap is raised about the second fulcrum, shown more particularly in Figs. 3 and 4, without further deformation of the cap. By regulating the amount that the fulcrum 9 extends below the lower surface of the extension 10, the amount of deformation of the cap may beregulated to any desired extent. A certain amount of deformation is desirable in order to assure a secure grip of the jaw with the lower edge of the cap. In the preferred embodiment, the fulcrum 9 extends downwardly so that the cover part of the container is pressed slightly into the mouth of the container. The operation of the opener is shown more particularly in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. For purposes of illustration, a package is shown sub stantially similar to that illustrated in the Scofield patent, No. 1,611,955. The package may comprise a container 12, a closure ca 14 having a cover portion 15, and a depen ing skirt 16 with a bead 18 formed therein adapted to receive the usual sealing gasket.

The bead is reformed during the sealingv operation to force the gasketsecurely against the container. In the removal of the cap,

the opener is applied, as shown in Fig. 3, with the jaw 6 beneath the lower edge of the skirt, and the inner side of the fulcrum 9 on the cover portion of the cap adjacent the rim of the container. The lower edge of the arched member 7 may or may not contact with the cap, depending upon its shape. The cap remover is inclined slightly to the horizontal, as illustrated, when engagin the cap. Upon the handle 4 being move upwardly, as indicated by the arrow A, the engaged portion of the cap is bent upwardly, by

reason of the pressure applied by the jaw 6, and the cover part of the cap is bent downwardlyby the fulcrum 9. This causes the jaw to be drawn inwardly to afford a secure grip on the under side of the skirt. If desirable, the opener may be applied at several points about the periphery of the cap, raising the side of the cap slightly in each instance, or the cap may be removed by a single operation of the opener.

As illustrated more particularly in Figs. 4 and 5, when the handle' l has been raised substantially to its horizontal position, the extension 10 engages the opposite side of the cap at 19 to prevent the fulcrum 9 from being pressed further downward. The fulcrum 10 limits the amount of bending that is possible with the cap lifter. Subsequent raising of. the opener, as illustrated in Fig. 5, causes the cap to be lifted about its opposite side so-that the entire cap is raised from the container. The extension 10 co-operates with the fulcrum 9 to limit the amount of bending and to prevent substantial distortion of the cap. The amount of bending can be regulated in the manufacture of the opener by changing the relative positions of the fulcrum 9 and extension 10. The further downward the fulcriirn 9 extends, the greater the distortion. A certain amount of-distortion is desirable in order to stretch the skirt so that the. cap may be used as a reseal. If the cap were raised directly upward, for example, by air pressure in the interior of the container, the skirt would not be expanded sufiiciently so that it could be reapplied to the container manually as a reseal during the consumption of the contents. For certain products, a cap adapted to make a reseal is very desirable.

As pointed out hereinbefore, withsome products it is desirable to render the cap incapable of reuse, in order to prevent the package from being refilled and sold as an original package. In other words, the customer and the manufacturer, in some cases, desire to guard against contamination of the contents or substitution thereof. In Fig. 6, a slightly modified construction is illustrated, wherein the fiat fulcrum member 9 is provided with a sharp indentation or projection 20, which is adapted to puncture the top of the cap when the opener is applied thereto,

' giving visible indication of the fact that the cap has been user In addition, if the package is vacuum sealed, the puncture breaks the vacuum and facilitates removal ofthe cap. It will be appreciated that, where there is a vacuum in the container, the resistance to removal of the cap is increased very substantially, due to the pressure of the external at mos-phere. The opener shown in Fig. 6 relieves this external pressure and, at the same time, does not mar the cap to such an extent as to interfere with its subsequent use as a cover.

If desired, the under side 11 of the extension 10, which engages the side of the cap in.

the removal operation, may be knurled or corrugated, as shown at 21 in Fig. 6. These corrugations tendv to prevent the cap lifter from slipping on the opposite side of the cap. It will be seen that the present invention provides an inexpensive cap removing device which may be constructed from a single piece of metal by simple stamping operations. The

opener engages the cap effectively and prevents i'n'mecessary distortien of the cap during the removal operation. The relative po sition of the two fulcrmns is adapted to control the amountot distortion in order to effect fior side ofthe skirt 1 opener may be con-v to vent vacuum sealed con trainers and there" facilitate the removal he can r over illustrated herein and fully capable of rouge usage to which it may be subjected.

i325 various changes may be made in the form, constri1c .,.on and arrangements of the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting extension of the handle and of substantiallv the same length to engage the side of the can opposite to the portion engaged by the jaw.

2. A cap lifter comprising a handle por-. tion, a cap engaging aw, an instruck portion spaced forwardly of to rest on top of the cap to form a fulcrum, and an arm integral with said handle adapted to engage the cap and provide a second fulcrum at the opposite side of the cap, whereby said-jaw and fulcrum members will v co-operate to remove the cap.

3. A device of the class described comprising a member formed of sheet metal, one end of said member extending transversely across the top of a cap a cap engaging aw at the middle portion of said member, a depending portion forwardly of said jaw, and means formed in said depending portion adapted to puncture the top of the cap to release the vacuum within the container.

4. A device of the class described comprising a handle, a cap engaging jaw, a fulcrum said jaw adapted l when said device is applied, i

portion arched forwardly of said jaw, projecting means on said portion for puncturing the top of a cap to break the vacuum within a container, and an arm integral with said handle extending forwardly thereof to provide a second fulcrum portion, said fulcrums and jaw oo-operating to remove the cap from. the container.

5. A cap lifter comprising a member formed of sheet metal, a cap engaging jaw and a depending fulcrum at the middle of said member for engaging one side of a cap, the forward end of said member extending across the cap to abut against the opposite side thereof, and corrugations at the abutting ortion.

6. n a cap lifter, the combination of a fulcrum portion at one end thereof, a cap engaging jaw, and a second fulcrumportion at a lower level than said first portion, said fulcrums and jaw being adapted to co-operate to remove the cap.

7. As an article of manufacture, a cap lifter comprising the combination of a bandle, a cap engaging jaw, a fulcrum adapted to engage the cover part of a cap adjacent said jaw to facilitate engagement of the jaw with the cap, and a second fulcrum spaced forwardly of said first fulcrum adapted to be effective when the handle has been raised a predetermined distance in removing the cap.

8. As an article of manufacture, a cap removing device comprising the combination of a handle, a cap engaging jaw, a fulcrum adjacent said j aw adapted to be effective during the engagement of the jaw with the ca and a second fulcrum adapted to render said first fulcrum substantially ineffective after the jaw has firmly engaged the cap.

to ANDREW G. OSBORNE. 

